#238 Erika's Message; Day of Remembrance; OSTP/House Hearing; AASF Updates; US-China STA; +

In This Issue #238

·       Erika Moritsugu - 2023 Review and 2024 Outlook

·       Day of Remembrance for Japanese American Incarceration

·       OSTP Guidance and House Science Committee Hearing

·       Updates from the Asian American Scholars Forum

·       State of Renewal of US-China Science and Technology Agreement

·       News and Activities for the Communities

Erika Moritsugu - 2023 Review and 2024 Outlook

Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison, The White House, reviewed the Year of the Rabbit (or Cat in Vietnamese zodiac) in 2023 and remarked on the Year of Dragon in 2024 during the APA Justice monthly meeting on February 5, 2024.  She was joined by her colleagues Ting Wu and Barbara Holston.Erika highlighted the significance of her role at the White House and extended Lunar New Year greetings.  Erika reviewed the accomplishments of the White House Initiative on AA and NHPI, including initiatives such as regional economic summits, the Mental Health Summit, and the publication of the National Strategy to advance equity for AA and NHPI communities, all with strong commitment of the Biden administration. Erika described President Joe Biden's proclamation recognizing AANAPISI programs and the renewal of the President’s Advisory Commission on AA and NHPI, including the hiring of new permanent staff.While Erika and her team are proud of what has been accomplished for our communities, by our communities, and with our communities so far, they also know that there is still more to do in ensuring equity, justice, opportunity, and safety for AA and NHPI in the new year.Looking ahead to 2024, Erika outlines goals to advance the President's agenda, including increasing federal contracting dollars for disadvantaged small businesses and combating hate-fueled violence.On research security, Erika reaffirms that the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to the integral role of AA and NHPI and people of all national origins in this country and supporting collaboration with international partners when it is in our interest. The White House is aware of the perceptions, biases, stereotypes and efforts to implement research security policies that may be influenced.

The Federal government collaborates with researchers and institutions to develop guidance ensuring:

·       Protection of America's security and openness while recognizing the importance of global collaboration in basic research.

·       Clarity in the guidance provided to researchers.

·       Prevention of the guidance from fueling xenophobia or prejudice.

On the People’s Republic of China (PRC), although the United States and the PRC are in competition, the Administration remains committed to maintaining open lines of communication and responsibly managing that competition.The Administration is keenly aware that the United States and the PRC are economically interdependent and share interest in addressing transnational costs and reducing the risk of conflict.  It also expects the PRC to be a major player on the world stage for the foreseeable future.That means that even if we compete, we want to find ways to live alongside one another.Last year the Administration launched a period of intensive diplomacy.  It was an all-hands-on-deck effort across the cabinet, scanning the full range of the relationship with the PRC.  It was direct about our differences.  The meetings were also used to find space to coordinate on issues where our interests overlap, culminating in the summit between President Biden and President Xi in Woodside, California, where progress was made on three major issues.

1.     President Biden and President Xi started counter narcotics cooperation,

2.     Announcement of military-to-military communication that has been frozen for more than a year,

3.     Announcement of a new dialogue aimed at managing the risk of artificial intelligence.

The Administration acknowledges the concerns of the AA and NHPI communities regarding tensions in the US-PRC relationship. It pledges to redouble efforts to protect these communities from any impacts. President Biden emphasizes that hate must have no safe haven in America and commits to combatting hate-fueled violence. The Administration is dedicated to ensuring safety, opportunity, and justice for all members of the communities. Recent events underscore the importance of government responsiveness to community needs.Erika and her team recognize the vital role of community engagement and partnership in their work. She expresses gratitude to community leaders for their activism and collaboration.Erika concluded her remarks with a big Mahalo Nui Loa for what we do for our communities and for sharing the space at the APA Justice meeting.Read the partial summary of the February 2024 APA Justice monthly meeting at: https://bit.ly/49jyZPH.  Watch Erika's talk and the February monthly meeting: https://bit.ly/49okkmc (57:00)

Day of Remembrance for Japanese American Incarceration

On February 19, 1942, following the attack by Imperial Japan on Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry to WWII, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced removal and incarceration of over 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry during World War II. This day is recognized annually in the Japanese American community as the Day of Remembrance, and was recognized in 2023 by President Joe Biden who called the order “one of the most shameful periods in our Nation’s history.”According to AP News, from the extreme heat of the Gila River center in Arizona, to the biting winters of Heart Mountain in Wyoming, Japanese Americans were forced into hastily built barracks, with no insulation or privacy, and surrounded by barbed wire. They shared bathrooms and mess halls, and families of up to eight were squeezed into 20-by-25 foot rooms. Armed U.S. soldiers in guard towers ensured nobody tried to flee.Approximately two-thirds of the detainees were American citizens.When the 75 holding facilities on U.S. soil closed in 1946, there was no clear consensus of who or how many had been detained nationwide.Duncan Ryūken Williams, the director of the Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture at the University of Southern California, and a team of researchers took on the mammoth task of identifying all the detainees and honoring them with a three-part monument called “Irei: National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration.”

“We wanted to repair that moment in American history by thinking of the fact that this is a group of people, Japanese Americans, that was targeted by the government. As long as you had one drop of Japanese blood in you, the government told you you didn’t belong,” Williams said.The first part of the Irei monument is the Ireichō, the sacred book listing 125,284 verified names of Japanese American detainees.  The team recorded every name in order of age, from the oldest person who entered the camps to the last baby born there.  “We felt like we needed to bring dignity and personhood and individuality back to all these people,” Williams said. “The best way we thought we could do that was to give them their names back.”Read the AP News report: https://bit.ly/49loOda.  Read the Ireichō Exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum: https://bit.ly/3UKzJsH.  The exhibition closes on December 1, 2024. Read President Biden's statement: https://bit.ly/3I5QPtl.  Read the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus statement: https://bit.ly/3SCdSRe

OSTP Guidance and House Science Committee Hearing

On February 14, 2024, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced the release of two memoranda aimed at supporting a secure and fair research ecosystem in the United States:  

1.     On Policy Regarding Use of Common Disclosure Forms, OSTP outlines guidelines on the use of common disclosure forms for federal agencies to use when evaluating proposals. These will help the government identify conflicts of commitment and potential duplication with the work of foreign governments.

2.     On Guidelines for Federal Research Agencies Regarding Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs,  The OSTP guidance provides a definition of foreign talent recruitment programs, guidelines for federal employees regarding foreign talent recruitment programs, and guidelines for individuals involved in malign foreign talent recruitment programs in federal projects.

On February 15, 2024, The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology held a hearing titled "Examining Federal Science Agency Actions to Secure the U.S. Science and Technology Enterprise."Four witnesses testified at the hearing:

·       The Honorable Arati Prabhakar, Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

·       Dr. Rebecca Keiser, Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy, National Science Foundation

·       The Honorable Geri Richmond, Under Secretary for Science and Innovation, Department of Energy

·       Dr. Michael Lauer, Deputy Director for Extramural Research, National Institutes of Health 

A hearing charter is posted here: https://bit.ly/3OOkw5W.  A video of the hearing is available here: https://bit.ly/3T8ltsz (2:39:21).

Updates from the Asian American Scholars Forum

Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), highlighted the following points during the APA Justice monthly meeting on February 5, 2024:

·       Expressing gratitude for recent efforts by Rep. Grace Meng and others opposing the reinstatement of the China initiative, recognizing the Biden administration's actions in ending it, and the release of NSPM 33 to harmonize disclosures.  She emphasized AASF's ongoing opposition efforts with a coalition of 50 organizations and the importance of community support in this endeavor.

·       AASF will hold its annual symposium on July 27 focusing on emerging technologies.  It will honor Asian American pioneers and involve high school students in celebrating Asian American history and innovation. The symposium will feature top scientists in AI, life sciences, and other emerging technologies.  Gisela encourages community participation and emphasizes the importance of Asian American representation in shaping policies and regulations for emerging technologies.  AASF celebrates Asian American scholar excellence and strives to shift away from the environment of scapegoating.

·       Gisela discussed AASF's accomplishments in the past year, including its growth and mobilizations to improve the climate on university and college campuses, support of individual cases, as well as advocacy efforts with the Biden administration, Congress, federal agencies, community partners.  AASF operates behind the scenes with partners listening to stories of people on the ground and seeing how AASF can make sure that their stories are not just collateral damage, but that on a high level AASF can change many of these policies that are directly impacting them.

·       AASF launched a pioneer project and collaboration with the National Asian Pacific American Smithsonian Museum, which was shared by the National Science Foundation Director and has over 18,000 viewers. AASF is committed to preserving the history of Asian American scholars and addressing urgent issues, such as incidents of profiling at the border and impacts of a restrictive Florida law SB 864 that restricts Florida's public colleges and universities from hiring researchers and graduate students from several countries of concern that include China and Iran.  AASF has prepared an explainer and is working on an impact assessment specifically for professors.

Gisela emphasized the importance of keeping Congressional members aware and community support and involvement in their efforts.In conclusion, Gisela expressed appreciation for support and hopes for continued growth and advocacy for the Asian American scholar community in the upcoming year.Contact Gisela at gpkusakawa@aasforum.org.  Read the partial summary of the February 2024 APA Justice monthly meeting at: https://bit.ly/49jyZPH.  Watch Gisela's talk and the February monthly meeting: https://bit.ly/49okkmc (57:00)

State of Renewal of US-China Science and Technology Agreement

According to Nature on February 8, China and the United States will once again probably delay the renewal of a decades-old Science and Technology Agreement (STA). The two nations have been negotiating for the past six months but need more time to settle new terms and conditions requested by both sides, sources tell Nature.The STA, which is usually renewed every five years, was due to expire on August 27 last year.  The US and China approved a six-month extension of the current agreement until February 27, to give officials time to renegotiate.  Now, it looks like they will delay it again, and approve a second extension, says Denis Simon, a specialist on US–China innovation and trade relations at the Institute for China–America Studies in Washington DC.According to Simon, over the past six months, US and Chinese negotiators have met several times to hash out a new pact — a positive sign. The US wants assurances of the personal safety of its scientists who travel to China for collaborative projects and greater clarity over the access, ownership and sharing of data, According to Marina Zhang at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia, China also has some reservations about renewing the pact as it currently stands.  It is concerned that the agreement might encourage Chinese scientists to leave and work in the United States.Deborah Seligsohn, a specialist in US–China relations at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, observes that the US might also want to restrict the fields of research while the previous agreement had no restrictions on the types of research that were available for partnership.

Researchers slam this idea. Professor Steven Kivelson at Stanford University in California, says that ending collaboration with China in quantum materials would be like “cutting off our own arms.” Kivelson and his colleague, Stanford Professor Peter Michelson, wrote to US President Joe Biden last year urging the government to renew the pact. More than 1,000 academics signed the letter: https://bit.ly/44xTNPX.Read the Nature report: https://go.nature.com/3T3Cx2B.  Read the Congressional Research Service backgrounder: https://bit.ly/4bFqtMhWhen asked about the state of the renewal of the US-China STA during the House Committee hearing on February 15, 2024, OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar responded that the matter is in the hands of the State Department. 

News and Activities for the Communities

1.  APA Justice Community Calendar

Upcoming Events:2024/02/22 Census Bureau: Exploring the Diversity and Growth of the Asian American Population2024/02/27-28 President's Advisory Commission on AA and NHPIs Meeting and Solicitation for Oral and Written Comments2024/02/28 WHI: Community Engagement Event2024/02/29 CAMDC Deadline for Essay Contest2024/03/03 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/03/04 APA Justice Monthly MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details.

2. UCA: 2024 Chinese American Convention 

United Chinese Americans (UCA) announced that it will hold the 2024 Chinese American Convention in Washington DC on June 27-30, 2024. Visit https://bit.ly/3T41PxC if you wish to propose a topic for the convention.